Two days ago, PAS Youth Chief Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi warned Muslims not to celebrate Christmas as it has an element of “syirik” (idolatry) which is against Islamic teachings. Not only Muslims must not celebrate Christmas, they must also not post Christmas greetings on Facebook as it would be an acknowledgement of the Christian religion.

Mr Khalil, the son of Hadi Awang, the president of the PAS Islamist party, is precisely the type of ignorant and dumb Muslim who has done more harm than good to Islam, when the religion is supposed to be a religion of peace. With Muslim like Muhammad Khalil, can you blame the non-Muslims for linking the religion to terrorism, hatred, weakness, fear and whatnot?

As the world’s fastest growing religion, why was he so fearful of Christmas when Islam will be the largest religion in the world by 2070? Was he admitting that Islam is huge only in quantity but not in quality? Or does Muhammad Khalil, son of Hadi Awang belong to a special group of Muslims who are not only weak, but also fake, hence the tremendous fear of even posting greetings on social media?

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and wife Siti Hasmah have no problem whatsoever of wishing all Malaysians a joyous and blissful Christmas. Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan has also wished Malaysians a Merry Christmas, and even thanked her nun teachers during a Christmas hi-tea reception for inculcating good values that shaped her into being a better person.

The biggest wish came from the Queen of Sultanate of Johor, Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah, who reminded Malaysians that everyone has a right to celebrate their own festive holidays. She said – “Instead of seeing shadows when there are none, I feel – as do my husband and our family – that everyone has a right to celebrate their festive holidays.”

The 59-year-old Queen shared her experience as a teenage student where she celebrated Christmas along with her Christian schoolmates in Britain, while not neglecting her faith as a Muslim. She said – “Have I forgotten about Allah and being a Muslim because I am in London during the days before Christmas? The answer is a simple ‘no’.”

The Raja Zarith Sofiah message was obviously a slap in the face of a racist, extremist and more importantly, a weak Muslim like Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi. Does the son of Hadi Awang dare to proclaim he’s more Muslim and Islamic than the 93-year-old PM Mahathir, Wan Azizah and the Sultanate of Johor combined?

It’s either Muhammad Khalil the son of Abdul Hadi Awang or the Sultanate of Johor was right on the issue of Christmas greetings and the festival celebration. Both can’t be either right or wrong at the same time. If Khalil believes he was right, then the holy boy should lecture the monarch to prevent the royalty from the deviation of the teaching of Islam, no?

However, the funny thing about Hadi son’s narrow-minded view of Christmas was that not everyone within the PAS agrees with him. PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan sent out his Christmas festive greetings to everyone, as did the Federal Territories Mufti, Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, who said – “Muslims can wish Christians Merry Christmas, as long as their religion is not glorified.”

It appears Khalil was quite alone in his stupid self-indulgence on Christmas greetings. Jordan’s King Abdullah II invited Catholic and other leaders celebrate Christmas in the spirit of fraternity and harmony the holiday symbolizes. Even Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas joined the Dec. 18 gathering in downtown Amman, together with Catholic and other Christian clergy.

Heck, the King Abdullah II even enjoyed lively carols, performed by the Jordanian Catholic Fountain of Love choir, and sacred holiday songs – including “Ave Maria.” Has the Jordanian king suddenly transformed to become a Christian? Did Khalil the son of Hadi realise that under the 1994 peace treaty with Israel, Jordan is recognized as the custodian of Jerusalem’s Christian and Muslim holy places?

Jordan was not alone in promoting a moderate teaching of Islam. A video made by the Egyptian Fatwa Institute and uploaded to YouTube earlier this month “encourages” Muslims to extend the Christmas holiday greetings to Christians and to maintain friendly relations with those around them, regardless of their religion.

The video warns viewers not to “fall prey to the extremists and the fanatics, who take from the religion only that which suits their whims. Whenever someone disputes with their narrow ways, they take the easiest path and accuse him of heresy.” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani sent out holiday greetings to various world leaders, calling Jesus “the prophet of peace and friendship”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also extended his Christmas greetings – “I wish that the Christmas, celebrated by our Christian citizens from different denominations, traditions and churches in line with their beliefs, will lead to the strengthening of the climate of solidarity in our country. I wish our Christian citizens and the whole Christian world a merry Christmas.”

So, who is a small fry, gullible and ignorant Muslim like Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi to warn Muslims not to celebrate Christmas? Can he prove that the God has gotten angry over the un-Islamic actions of Jordanian King Abdullah II, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan – extending Christmas greetings?

Perhaps the son of Hadi Awang should ask his father why they had missed the golden opportunity to become part of the new federal government. After 61 years in power, the previous corrupt and evil Barisan Nasional stunningly lost power to the Pakatan Harapan coalition. Unfortunately, the PAS Islamist party wasn’t part of the Pakatan coalition, when they should have been.

It was as if the God had played a terrible joke on the so-called holiest political party. PAS, previously under spiritual leader Nik Aziz, was part of now-defunct opposition Pakatan Rakyat. However, under Hadi leadership, the party had preferred a RM90 million bribe offered by crooked Najib Razak instead of fighting corruption. So, Hadi pulled out of the opposition coalition.

Ironically, the God had chosen to punish the Barisan regime at a time when the PAS was aligned and supported the corrupt ex-premier Najib. Perhaps racist, extremist and fanatic Muslims like Muhammad Khalil and Hadi Awang was the reason why God has punished PAS. Otherwise, how do you explain an Islamist party missed the chance after decades of struggle?